Past perfect tense

Status
Not open for further replies.

snowwhiteY2K

Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2012
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Hindi
Home Country
India
Current Location
India
Hello

We use past perfect tense in the following situations:
a) completed action before another action in the past
b) third conditional sentence
c) reported speech


But, if we see this example:
Example: CCTV shows she had bought a ticket from Keshavpuram.
(Keshavpuram-name of a place)

The above sentence does not fall in any of the already mentioned categories or situations.

Can we use simple past tense here?

Please explain to me the difference between simple past tense and past perfect tense with examples.

Thanks.
 

bhaisahab

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 12, 2008
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
England
Current Location
Ireland
Hello

We use past perfect tense in the following situations:
a) completed action before another action in the past
b) third conditional sentence
c) reported speech


But, if we see this example:
Example: CCTV shows she had bought a ticket from Keshavpuram.
(Keshavpuram-name of a place)

The above sentence does not fall in any of the already mentioned categories or situations.

Can we use simple past tense here?

Please explain to me the difference between simple past tense and past perfect tense with examples.

Thanks.
Simple past would be OK. "CCTV shows (that) she bought a ticket from Keshavpuram."
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
It is unlikely that CCTV could show that she had bought a ticket. It could show her buying a ticket and thus, as bhai said, it could show that she bought a ticket.
 

Tdol

No Longer With Us (RIP)
Staff member
Joined
Nov 13, 2002
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
Japan
But it would show that she had bought a ticket before whatever happened to make this a story.
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
But it would show that she had bought a ticket before whatever happened to make this a story.
I admit that I am being a little hair-splitting here, but it wouldn't. It would show only that she was in possession of a ticket. She might have bought it, found it, stolen it, been given it, etc,
 

snowwhiteY2K

Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2012
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Hindi
Home Country
India
Current Location
India
Hello

Doubt

If a conversation happened long time back and in the present time if we talk about that conversation then which tense we would be using.
Simple present or past perfect

Example:
Remember you said it to me
Or
Remember you had said it to me.

I find both these tenses very confusing.:-(
Somebody please guide me their correct usage.

Thanks
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top